Tunnel Technique for the Closure of an Oroantral Fistula with a Pedicled Palatal Mucoperiosteal Flap.

Abstract

Oroantral fistula may develop as a complication of tooth extraction owing to infection, trauma, or removal of maxillary cyst or tumors. Closure by using a palatal mucoperiosteal flap with the greater palatine vessels is a very traditional and basic technique. The palatal mucosa is thick and is firm. However, deformation can occur with shifting of the mucoperiosteal flap, survival of the flap may be unsuccessful, and patients may have substantial intraoral discomfort felt until healing of the eminence with the arcuation. As a method to relieve these problems, we present a mucoperiosteal tunnel technique for the closure of oroantral fistula by using a palatal mucoperiosteal flap pedicled with the greater palatine vessels. A 42-year-old man and a 69-year-old woman each had a palatal fistula after palatal tumor resection and tooth extraction, respectively. We designed a mucoperiosteal flap pedicled with the left greater palatine vessel. We ablated the mucoperiosteum between the fistula and the mucoperiosteal flap, and passed this flap under the ablated mucoperiosteum as a tunnel. One year after surgery, the fistula had not reappeared and the mucoperiosteal flap harvest did not generate dyskinesis of the soft palate. Tunnel technique for the closure of an oroantral fistula with a pedicled palatal mucoperiosteal flap is obtains good fructification.